★ 07/22/2019
Trunks, snouts, rostrums, muffles, beaks, and muzzles take center stage in this captivating investigation into the power of smell. Arranged by theme and loosely progressing from basic concepts (what smell is) to specific animal behaviors (lemurs’ penchant for attracting mates through stinky secretions; ants’ use of pheromones to communicate), each spread uses short text blocks to concisely present information on the sense’s specifics. Figueras adeptly presents complex concepts in accessible language: “Molecules that have a smell are called odorant molecules.” De Gastold’s realistic illustrations engagingly incorporate amusing details (an elephant teetering atop a ladder, horses pulling funny faces) and are augmented by lift-the-flap features that offer varying perspectives, zoomed-in views, and additional facts. A handy index amplifies the book’s usefulness as a reference. Ages 7–11. (Oct.)
"A survey of the many ways we and other animals use and detect odors … Whiffs of humor lighten the informational load. A fresh, factual blast with hints of drollery." - Kirkus Reviews
“[Nose Knows] offers a snootful of information independent readers and scientifically inclined preschoolers will enjoy." - Publishers Weekly
"With its variety of species, colorful illustrations and lots of flaps the reader will be intrigued to explore how animals, including humans, smell with their noses and how it impacts their life day to day." - Youth Services Book Review
"The book is organized into seven sections, and features large, colorful illustrations that bring the text to life, many with a lift-the-flap feature that pack an impressive amount of information ... A terrific find for science units on animal behavior and useful for student browsing." - School Library Journal
"Trunks, snouts, rostrums, muffles, beaks, and muzzles take center stage in this captivating investigation into the power of smell. Arranged by theme and loosely progressing from basic concepts (what smell is) to specific animal behaviors ... Figueras adeptly presents complex concepts in accessible language ... De Gastold’s realistic illustrations engagingly incorporate amusing details ... and are augmented by lift-the-flap features that offer varying perspectives, zoomed-in views, and additional facts." - Publishers Weekly
10/18/2019
Gr 1–5-This large-format picture book describes the ways animals use their sense of smell as a guide to find food, bond with offspring, impress a potential mate, and more. The book is organized into seven sections, and features large, colorful illustrations that bring the text to life, many with a lift-the-flap feature that pack an impressive amount of information. The opening section, "The Invisible World of Smells," states that humans can detect more than 400,000 different smells. An accompanying illustration shows the noses of a cat and a boy. When readers lift the flap, they see how the olfactory membrane sends messages to the brain. They also learn that cats have a much larger membrane for receiving smells than humans do. The opposite page explains that horses have a second "nose" and that they make "funny faces" in their attempts to sniff more successfully. VERDICT A terrific find for science units on animal behavior and useful for student browsing. -Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York
2019-08-26
A survey of the many ways we and other animals use and detect odors.
In this large-format French import, lightweight flaps hide inside views, diagrams, and close-ups added to De Gastold's whimsical scenes of expressively posed animals and (racially diverse) people sniffing air or water to track down prey or other food, identify mates or offspring, detect danger, and offer clues to migratory routes. The flap on which two seals swim beneath a thick layer of sea ice that separates them from a sniffing polar bear lifts to reveal a seal coming up for breath—right into the jaws of the bear; a pigeon-shaped flap lifts to reveal an aerial view of that pigeon sniffing its way home. Figueras explains in simple but specific language how the "high tech instruments" of creatures including dogs, sharks, elephants ("superheroes of smell"), and ants process pheromones and other odorant molecules. Readers also learn, memorably, how male giraffes smell and taste the urine of females to check out their hormone levels and male ring-tailed lemurs produce a "stomach-churning perfume" to engage in "smell battles" with rivals. These whiffs of humor lighten the informational load…though serious-minded young biologists will still prefer Mary Holland's Animal Noses (2019), with its more naturalistic photographs. Suggested titles for further reading are limited to three British books and two in French.
A fresh, factual blast with hints of drollery. (index) (Informational novelty. 7-9)
